Vengeful Connection
by Citation-2
Summary: 6th story in the Vampire! Gibbs/Tony "Reconnection" universe. When Tony is kidnapped, will Gibbs be able to find him before it is too late? Based on some requests/suggestions from my readers. Gibbs X Tony SLASH
1. Chapter 1

**Vengeful Connection**

**By Gunnery Sergeant**

Usual Disclaimer – I do not own NCIS, I only wish I did.

A/N: Sixth story in my Vampire! Gibbs/Tony series. The correct reading order can be found in my profile.

This story is set a few months after "Unexpected Connection", an AU season 7 beginning.

Thanks to **Finlaure** for the beta reading!

**-x-**

Tony closed the door of Gibbs' house and jogged down the porch steps, looking around himself with a pleased smile.

It was Saturday morning, there was almost no traffic, the sun shone and the mid autumn air while cold, was also energizing. It was the perfect time for a long run.

Tony set a steady pace as he proceeded along the orderly row of well-kept houses toward Forest Park. As he ran by he greeted a few of Gibbs' neighbors, people who had known Jethro since he had come to live there with Shannon and Kelly, and who had taken it well that he now had a male lover.

Tony smiled as he thought of his lover, no, partner. He had had many lovers during his life. Women and men who had come and gone in a few weeks, while he and Gibbs had just celebrated their second anniversary. Yes, partner –_ life_ partner – was much better, since he couldn't bring himself to use the same word Jethro used to define him, mate. It sounded nice and true and so fucking possessive on Gibbs' lips, and Tony liked when other vampires called him 'Jethro's Mate' or 'Leroy's mate', but just couldn't think of the older man as his mate.

Tony shook his head, amused by how tortuous his musings about a simple word were becoming. Did it really matter the word they used to define what they were for and to each other? Of course not. They loved each other and that was the only thing that mattered.

So Tony just thought about the man he had left asleep in bed, sprawled in the middle of the mattress and hogging almost all the blankets, and grinned. No one in the office would ever believe him if he told them the big, bad, always-up-at-dawn Special Agent Gibbs liked to sleep in when he wasn't on call. And no one in DC would believe that even a mug of fresh coffee straight under his nose wasn't enough to rouse him until he decided he was time to wake up.

'_I wonder if there is a way to pass this bit of information to Abby without revealing how I'm aware of it…_'

Tony never completed the thought as a blinding pain exploded in the back of his head. The last thing he saw before everything went black was the ground getting closer as he fell down.

**-x-**

When he regained his senses he was dizzy and cold. Tony found himself tightly bound in what looked like a cave or cavern.

"No, not a cavern," he said to himself, noticing the wooden girders in the ceiling and the lit lamp hanging from one of the walls, "A mine."

Not that it explained what he was doing here—wherever 'here' was. He had no idea how long he had been unconscious, nor did he have a clue about whom had taken him or why.

Tony pulled at the ropes imprisoning him, but only managed to make them tighter. His wrists were bound behind his back while his ankles were tied so close he would never be able to stand up. He felt like a calf ready to be branded and he didn't like that at all.

He needed help to get away from there—and luckily he had a way to ask for it: his mental bond with Jethro.

Despite his current predicament, Tony smiled as he remembered how they had discovered the bond.

It had been four months before, while he was in Somalia with Ziva, carrying out the mission Eli David had given them, track down and kill a terrorist named Saleem. It had been night and, unable to sleep, Tony had been staring at the current campfire, thinking about the time he and Gibbs had camped in the Arizona desert. He had been remembering how they had managed to share a couple of kisses even with the local sheriff sleeping so close, and how much his partner had liked to sleep under the stars. And then, suddenly, Tony had found himself talking with Gibbs, the older man's voice echoing in his mind as if he was standing close to him, and not thousands of miles away.

Tony had told Gibbs about his current location and his concerns about the mission, amused by the many questions the voice in his mind, which he thought to be just a figment of his overactive imagination, was asking. When the 'conversation' had ended with Gibbs' promise look for a way to help them, Tony had shook his head, thinking it was just an attempt of his subconscious to tranquilize him and allow him to finally fall asleep.

He hadn't thought of the conversation the next day, not even when he and Ziva had been contacted by squad of Ethiopian soldiers who were tracking Saleem too, and agreed to join their forces.

It was only when Major Selassie, the Ethiopian guy in charge, had taken him aside and advised him to be careful because vampires didn't like when other vampires gave blood to their mates, that he had realized two things. One, Selassie was a vampire. Two, he was there to help Tony, and thus it meant his conversation with Gibbs had been real.

The discovery of his mental connection with Jethro had been mind-blowing for Tony. Not just because it was so sci-fi like or a very useful ability in their line of work, but because it was a tangible, irrefutable proof of how deep their love and commitment was to each other.

Tony had always been insecure of his place in the life and of the people he loved. His mother had died when he was a child, and his father had sent him to a boarding school just after that, seldom finding time to spare for him. His relationships had always been fleeting and he had ended up being dumped far more times than the other way around. He had tried to shake this sense of insecurity since he had been involved with Gibbs, but they still assaulted him now and then and he found himself terrified by the idea of Jethro ending things between them. But his insecurity had been greatly reduced since the mental connection between them had been established. He had read in the book about vampires Gibbs kept in his closet that connections between vampires and humans were very rare…a true proof of commitment, because while words can lie, there was no deception in thoughts and feelings, and he had felt more than once how much Jethro loved him.

Tony returned to the present, mentally head-slapping himself, because this wasn't the time to get all maudlin and sappy.

He closed his eyes to concentrate and open the link with Jethro, but the sound of approaching steps distracted him. He opened his eyes just in time to see a man dressed in white and wearing a Panama style hat stop at few feet from him.

Tony's mouth opened in stunned surprise when he recognized him. Eli David.

While it was true he did not have the foggiest idea of who would have wanted to take him, Ziva's father would have never crossed his mind.

"Director David." Tony greeted him when he regained his composure, "Forgive me if I don't shake your hand, but as you can see, there isn't much I can do—except kiss you, if you kneel…but that would mean dirtying you very nice suit. Is that the same one you wore in Tel Aviv when we first met? Or do you have a wardrobe full of them?"

David smirked and replied, "Agent DiNozzo, I see you have not learned yet that there are times when your deplorable sense of humor is more likely to put you in more trouble than to take you out of it."

"I don't know…If I remember correctly, my technique worked pretty well the first time we met."

David's eyes flashed with a dangerous glint as he stepped closer. "It won't work this time, DiNozzo. There are no witnesses to this conversation. No one able to help you... This abandoned mine is miles away from a town or a trekking path, and no one ever comes because it's crumbling and it dangerous to enter it. No one will ever hear your calls for help."

Tony nodded. "Yeah, well, I had already figured you hadn't taken me here to enjoy the landscape. What I don't get is why I'm here. Are you still holding a grudge because I killed your golden boy, Rivkin?"

David shook his head. "Rivkin was an incompetent drunkard; otherwise you wouldn't be here now. No, I've nothing against you. You're just a pawn in my plan to get revenge of Agent Gibbs."

Tony frowned, taken aback. "Why?" he blurted, unable to hide his surprise.

"Because he stole my daughter! He took Ziva away from me!" David exclaimed, balling his fists.

"Gibbs didn't steal her from you," Tony replied, hard eyes fixed on this abductor. "You lost Ziva the moment you ordered us to proceed and track Saleem fully knowing you were sending us – sending _your daughter_ – on a suicide mission. Or do you think Ziva didn't realize how our little trip in the desert would have ended hadn't we met that squad of Ethiopian soldiers? There were thirty-six men in Saleem's camp and we were just two!"

David gestured with his hand, as if he was brushing away Tony's words as unimportant.

"Gibbs had started poisoning her against me long before that! Turned her against me! He made her question me about how I handled Ari, about why Tali was at the market the day she was killed instead of being at school… He made my daughter stop trusting me, her father! He made her forget her country to become an American. And this is why Gibbs will pay the price of his crimes!"

"And you plan to make Gibbs pay by kidnapping _me_?" Tony said incredulous. "You would get a better result if you blew up his boat or stole all of his bourbon! But kidnapping the agent he regularly head-slaps in order to instill some common sense in him? Nah, I don't think Gibbs will be that touched by this."

"Are you so sure, Agent DiNozzo? Because, you see, I know head-slapping is not the only thing Agent Gibbs does regularly to you, both at his place and yours…"

Tony felt blood leave his face at the implications of those words and David snorted, amused.

"Don't be so surprised, DiNozzo. I didn't pick you because you were an easy target. I know you and Gibbs are lovers, have been for a couple of years. As a matter of fact, I knew it almost from the start." David paced the small confines of the tunnel, as Tony watched him warily. "I've often thought to let Leon know about your tryst, but I then decided to keep the information for myself. I thought I could find another use for it—and I did." The older man's eyes flashed again. "Agent Gibbs will soon know what it means to lose someone he loves."

"You bastard!" Tony snarled, struggling to free himself, rage blinding him for a moment. "He already knows what a nightmare it is! He lost his wife and daughter!"

David laughed, maliciously. "Then he will live it again. No one messes with me and stays unpunished. Farewell, Agent DiNozzo, I'll leave now. If I were you, I would start preparing to meet God, because you'll never leave here alive."

I

Poor Tony! What will happen next? Let me know...and remember, reviews make me update faster. :)


	2. Chapter 2

Tony watched Eli David walk away. He took a deep breath to calm himself. He had been shocked by the venom and the malice in the man's voice when he had talked about the pain he wanted to cause to Jethro, and he didn't need a degree in psychology to know the guy was mentally disturbed.

Tony shivered, and not just because of David. It was cold inside the mine, and he wore only a light sweatshirt and running shorts. He needed to leave that damned place before he caught pneumonia.

He closed his eyes and turned his attention away from what was happening to him, and redirected it inwardly. In the same moment he was able to achieve the necessary concentration, Tony became aware of a familiar voice calling his name.

"Boss!" he exclaimed aloud, finding easier to "talk" with his mind if he could also speak out loud.

/Tony! Thank God. Where are you? What happened to you? / Jethro's evident relief washed over him in waves, making him wonder how long his partner had been trying to reach him.

"Can't tell you where I am, Boss. The only thing I know is that I'm prisoner inside a secluded, abandoned mine."

/Prisoner? Who took you?/

"Eli David."

Tony sensed Gibbs' stupor travel along their connection. /Director David? Why?/

"I think the guy is losing it. He claims you stole Ziva from him and has decided to punish you by stealing me from you." A pause, "He knows about us, Jethro."

There was a long moment of silence, during which Gibbs digested what Tony had just said. Then his partner spoke again. /Okay. I'll deal with him later. Now I need to discover where you are…'cause you left your cell phone at home, so I can't use it to track you! What about rule number three?/

Tony cringed, mortified. "I thought it didn't apply when we aren't on call and you can get hold of me like this…"

/Yeah,/ Gibbs replied, and Tony was ready to bet he had just sighed. /Unfortunately, this connection isn't directional. It can't lead me to you. However, given the time of the day, and the maximum speed allowed on highways, I think you should be within a 100-150 miles from DC./

"I bet McGee or Abby can give you the complete list of all the mines located within this range within 5 minutes," Tony murmured, before he realized his partner couldn't ask for their help. They would want to know why Gibbs needed the information, and if he told them, they would want to know how he knew Tony was in a mine if he had no phone with him.

Not for the first time, Tony regretted the fact Abby and the others had reacted so badly when Gibbs had revealed his vampire nature to them, thus obliging him to then erase their memories of the fact. Had they still known about Gibbs and his powers, the older man wouldn't have these problems now, and McGee and Ziva could help him in the search.

/Don't worry so much, Tony,/ Gibbs' voice intruded into his thoughts. /There is someone else I can ask help to. Someone I won't need to lie to./

Tony frowned in confusion for a moment, and then smiled. "Bill?"

/Yep. He's been living in this area for centuries; he knows it as well as his backyard./

"You know, Boss, I'm always surprised by how willing you're to ask Bill for help. I mean, you hate to ask assistance of others…"

/Bill's a friend…a mentor. Part of the kin. One of us. And there's no shame in asking help of friend, not when there are lives at stake. Gotta go now. Take care of yourself, Tony./

"I will." A pause, then he added. "Find me soon, Jethro…but be careful. David had us spied on. He may be watching you even now."

/Okay./

The connection ended abruptly, very much alike Gibbs ended his phone calls, as Tony remained with his eyes closed, resting his mind, as these conversations were tiring for him.

When he opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on something near the opposite rock wall, something that glinted in the weak light cast by the lamp.

What was it? Could it be a piece of glass, something he could use to cut the rope? Deciding there was only one way to know, Tony began to slowly move toward his goal. Stretching and bending his bound legs after digging his heels deep into the rocky ground gave him enough grasp to pull his body across the wide expanse of the tunnel. It took a while, and his shorts got ripped along the way, but it was worth it, because the glinting thing was indeed a piece of glass, big and sharp enough to be useful for him.

Getting hold of the piece of glass with his bound hands and turning it so that the sharp side was against the rope proved a difficult and sometime downright painful task. His fingers were almost numb because of the bad blood circulation caused by the tight rope and he lost his grip on the glass more than once, letting it fall or accidentally cutting his skin with it. However Tony persevered and after several failed attempts he got the piece of glass where he wanted it and started using it against the ropes in earnest.

It took a lot of time – Tony couldn't say how much because he had lost track of it– but finally his bindings became thinner and thinner until the moment a sharp tug broke them.

He freed his arms, rolling his shoulders and rubbing his wrists to restore the circulation, cringing at the bloody, dirty mess his hands had become. They were sore, cut and swollen, and Tony knew they would get worse in no time, but there was nothing he could do for them now.

Gritting his teeth at the pain, Tony freed his ankles and stood up, his back and ass protesting the movement.

"You're getting old, Anthony DiNozzo," he muttered as he began to walk in the direction he had seen David go. He proceeded cautiously, being careful not to touch any of the wooden pillars supporting the unstable ceiling and breathed deeply in relief when he reached the exit of the mine. Tony was surprised to see the sun so low in the sky. While it was true he had lost track of time inside the mine and had no idea of how long he had been unconscious, he hadn't expected to be so late.

He took advantage of the fading light to study his surroundings. The entry of the mine was located on the north side of a steep, rocky hill surrounded by a clearing covered with dirt and gravel. There was a metallic fence around the place and beyond that there were trees and bushes. A road departed from the clearing, and near it there was a broken down gate with a plate hanging from it.

Tony jogged toward the gate and smiled when he read what was written on the plate.

"Boss?" he called along the connection with his partner. "Are you there?"

/Sure, Tony. What is it? Has David returned?/

"No. I managed to get free and I'm now looking at the mine's name. Orange County Mining Co.. Sounds familiar?/ Tony was aware he was again talking aloud, but didn't care for. He would exercise to talk only with his thoughts another time, when the situation was far less stressing.

/Yep. As a matter of fact it's the fifth one on my list of mines to check. I was driving to place number three. I should be there in a hour or so./

"Good to know, Jethro. It's getting cold here and my sweatshirt and running shorts aren't good now that the sun has disappeared."

/I've some clothes for you in the car. In the meantime go back to the mine and try to stay warm. I'll be there ASAP./

"Okay."

Tony broke the connection and walked back toward the entry of the mine. A pressure to his bladder reminded him he hadn't relieved himself since the morning, so walked toward a side of the hill, lowered his shorts and was about to pee when the hair on his nape stood up.

Someone was observing him.

Tony whirled on his heels and snorted when he saw a squirrel standing by the fence and looking at him.

"Don't get any strange ideas!" he said to the little animal, protectively cupping his genitals. "These aren't nuts!"

The squirrel ran away, scared by his voice, and Tony turned around, taking care of his bodily needs before returning to the mine entry. Once inside, he sat down with his back against the wall and hugged his bent knees in an attempt to stay warm.

Time passed, darkness fell—and so did the temperature. Tony's teeth were clattering and he stood up, walking to step on the threshold of the mine.

"Are you close, Boss?"

/Almost there, Tony./

"Good. I'm freezing here."

/Move around. Jump, do push-ups. Physical exercise is good to stay warm./

"You know me, Jethro. Jumps and push-ups aren't my kind of physical exercise. I prefer…other ways to exercise…and they get me very warm indeed," Tony answered suggestively.

Gibbs' snort reached him even thru the connection. /You're insatiable./

"With you? Always. Can't ever get enough of you, Jethro."

/I'll give you some more tonight—but only if you don't catch pneumonia. So do those push-ups./

Tony rolled his eyes, but muttered "On it, Boss," all the same.

He knelt down and was about to see if his battered hands would be up for the task, when he again sensed being observed. More, he felt distinctly uneasy, so much that his discomfort travelled along their connection and reached Gibbs.

/What is it?/

"I don't know. There's something I don't like here."

/I'm almost there; I've just left the main road. You should see the car lights at any moment./

"Yeah…I see them now."

I

Yay! Gibbs is arrived. Everything is going to be OK...or not? Let me know what you think...and remember, reviews make me update faster. :)


	3. Chapter 3

First of all, I apologize for the delay in posting this and the lack of individual reply to the reviews, but I've been busy watching NCIS Season 8 Premiere, and then commenting it with friends and other fans.

I thank you all for the reviews and I hope you'll enjoy the next chapter too!

I

I

The car entered the clearing and came to a halt near Tony. He pulled the door open and grinned when Gibbs stepped out of it. God, how was it possible his partner got more handsome every time he saw him?

Tony moved closer, aiming for a kiss and a hug, but he froze when Gibbs' face – at least what he could see of it in the light cast from the car lights – darkened in that expression the younger man always associated with danger.

"What is it?" he asked, alarmed.

"We aren't alone," Gibbs answered, his nostrils flaring as he scented the air. "There's a vampire near." He scanned the area then returned to look straight in front of them, toward the mine.

"A vampire?" Tony asked as he looked around and squinted his eyes, but he couldn't see anything. Darkness enveloped the area, and the car lights couldn't do much to break it. He was almost startled when Gibbs caught him by the wrist, and yanked him roughly behind his back, putting himself between Tony and the other vampire.

"Stay close," the older man hissed as a laugh echoed in the silent night.

"Ah, you're so protective Agent Gibbs."

Tony looked up, toward the top of the small hill and saw a flashlight move, although he didn't need to see who held it to know who it was.

"Director David," he hissed.

"And he's not alone. The vampire is with him," Gibbs replied.

"That's correct, Agent Gibbs," David answered, as he walked down the side of the hill and joined them in the clearing, pointing a gun at them. "I was sure you would come here to rescue your lover and given the fact I've known since our first meeting in Tel Aviv that you were a vampire, I have made sure Officer Rabin is with me. He is the one who sensed you in Israel." He turned toward Tony. "You worked very well as bait, DiNozzo. I expected you to free yourself—did you use the piece of glass I left there for you? Yes, I can see from your expression you did. You know, I was surprised when you didn't run to check the guards' cabin near the gate –you would have found a still working phone there – but then you started talking aloud and Anshel explained to me you didn't need a phone to contact Gibbs."

Tony was furious—with David and himself. He should have known his capture was just a way to drag Gibbs away from DC, to a deserted area where the Israeli could get rid of both them without attracting too much attention.

"Why did you do this, Director David?" Gibbs asked, squeezing Tony's wrist in silent support.

"I'm tired of your meddling with my family, that's why."

"Me? Meddling?" Gibbs said, sarcastic. "You threw them in my way! I didn't invite Ari to sneak inside the NCIS building. As for Ziva, while she is now a friend and a valuable member of my team, the whole Mossad liaison officer thing wasn't my idea."

"You stole her from me!" David all but shouted. "You know what she told me during our last phone call? That I'm all but dead for her! And that if she needs a father – a real one – she just needs to raise her head from her desk and look on her left...at you! But now you are going to die, and with you gone, my daughter will return to me."

"You're completely screwed up!" Tony couldn't help but hiss at the Israeli.

"Shut up, Agent DiNozzo or I will put a bullet in your head and you will never be witness to something only a few humans have ever seen: two vampires fighting to the death. Is not that exciting?" David let out a maniac laugh.

He was very close now and in the halo cast by car light Tony saw a glimpse of Rabin. A shiver ran along his spine: the other vampire was huge, at least seven feet in height and a body as broad as it was tall. It made Tony think of a bull.

"Have you seen him?" he whispered urgently at his partner.

"Yeah...since he stepped into the clearing."

"Oh...forgot you can see in the dark," Tony muttered, as Gibbs began to walk backward, forcing him to do the same.

David let out another malicious laugh. "Are you scared, Agent Gibbs? You should be. Anshel is almost 2000 years old and he has never lost a fight. He's also a Kidon member and one of my best operatives...and he is young and strong because he drinks regularly, while you..." he Israeli made a disdainful gesture, as if to indicate Gibbs wasn't up to his standards of how a vampire should look.

Gibbs couldn't care less, and kept on backing up until they reached the car and its still open door.

/Get inside,/ Gibbs ordered using their connection.

/What?/ Tony answered, for once taking care not to talk aloud.

/I said get inside and drive away./

/Like hell! I'm not leaving you./

/You can't do anything against Rabin and David is armed. Get inside ...NOW!/ Then Gibbs pushed him into the car before leaping into the air, somersaulting over David and Rabin and landing squarely behind them.

"Kill him, Anshel!" David yelled before firing his gun into the car. Tony threw himself down on the seat, covering his head as the front window shattered and the glass sprayed over him. Blindly, he felt for the glove compartment where Gibbs kept his reserve gun, wrapping his sore fingers around it with a sigh of relief.

Moving carefully, he raised his head to peer at what was going on in the clearing and his heart twisted with worry. The two vampires were fighting hand-to-hand right in front of the car, moving quick as lighting, fangs extended and bared, jumping and leaping in the air as if they were in a John Woo's movie.

Gibbs was holding his own against Rabin but he looked almost small compared to the other vampire, who used his superior body weight as an added weapon.

Gibbs then locked his foot behind the giant's ankle and managed to make him lose his balance, but then Rabin reacted by dragging the older-looking vampire down with him.

Tony watched as they rolled on the gravel, each of them both alternately trying to bite the other's throat as they protected their own exposed necks.

And then, suddenly Gibbs' arms, which he was using to push away Rabin, gave up, and the taller vampire went for his unprotected neck.

"NO!" Tony shouted.

Uncaring of David or of the glass scattered everywhere, he leapt through the shattered front window, rolled down the hood of the car, and landed on his feet. He ran toward the two vampires and slammed the butt of his gun on Rabin's head with all of his strength.

It wasn't enough to knock him out, but it made him let go of Gibbs' neck. Tony cringed when the vampire turned to look at him, his lower face and chin smeared with blood. His Jethro's blood.

He backed away, as Rabin rose to his feet and approached him.

"You shouldn't have done that," Rabid drawled, the first time Tony had actually heard him talk. "Now you will learn why you humans should never intrude in vampires' busin-"

His voice died in a bloody gurgle as a flash of silver moved quickly across his neck. Rabin's eyes widened in stunned surprise as blood started pouring from his slashed throat. He fell on his knees, revealing Gibbs standing behind him, his left hand pressed against his neck while the right one held his long serrated knife.

Gibbs raised a booted foot and pushed against the vampire's back, making him fall down, face first into the gravel.

As Tony looked on, his partner knelt down and quickly slit the other vampire's wrists and thighs.

"There is only...one way...to kill vampires," Gibbs murmured. "They must...bleed out...before...they can...heal...their...wounds..."

Tony nodded, remembering when Gibbs had told him that for the first time, the night he had revealed himself and they had became lovers.

The younger man looked down at Rabin, watching Gibbs touch the neck of the fallen vampire then nod to his self.

"Is he dead?" he asked.

"Yes. It's over," the vampire's answered, his voice raspy.

Tony walker closer and reached out with his hand, helping Gibbs to his feet. He didn't like how his partner looked. The older man was pale and his brow was covered with sweat.

"Are you all right? Do you need to drink to heal the wound? We can do it-"

Tony never completed the line because he was pushed down to the ground as three gunshots echoed in rapid succession. He rolled over into a shooting position just in time to see Gibbs knock David out with a well placed fist to his jaw.

The Israeli went down with a satisfying thud, but Tony's grin transformed into a horrified grimace when Gibbs collapsed to his knees and fell on his side on the gravel.

"Jethro!" Tony called, scrambling to his feet to rush at the fallen vampire's side. "Jethro," he repeated softly as he knelt and gently turned Gibbs on his back. "Oh God..." The younger man whispered when he saw the condition of his partner. There was blood everywhere, pouring from the gash at his neck and the bullet wounds in his stomach and side.

Gibbs' eyes were closed and his breathing was getting more labored by the moment, as the line he had uttered only a few minutes before echoed in Tony's mind.

"_There is only one way to kill vampires, they must bleed out before they can heal the wounds..."_

Horror filled the younger man as he realized what was happening.

Gibbs was dying, bleeding out.

Tony pressed his hands against the wound at the neck to slow the flood of blood and tried to do the same with those in the vampire's belly.

"Boss...Don't do this to me...please..."

Gibbs' eyes opened and he looked up at Tony. "You OK?" he croaked.

Tony nodded.

"Good...this is...a...good...way...to...go...saving...the...one...I...love..." Gibbs smiled weakly.

"You aren't going anywhere, Gibbs! You hear me!" Tony cried, as tears fell from his eyes, slid along his cheeks and dripped on the pale face beneath. "You can't leave me...Stay with me...Boss…"

"Can't..." Gibbs whispered, so lowly Tony barely heard him. "So tired...so cold..."

Tony felt like a knife was stabbed into his stomach as he saw the light fade from Jethro's blue eyes with each gush of blood pouring from his wounds.

"Love ya...Tony..." Gibbs whispered, and closed his eyes.

"NO!" Tony searched frantically for his pulse, his desperation rising as his shaking fingers failed to locate it.

I

*ducks to avoid the rotten tomatoes thrown in her way* Cliffhanger!

What will happen next? Let me know...and remember, reviews make me update faster. :)


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you so much for the reviews and forgive me for the cliffhanger! *wink* But really, I'm in this fandom because of Gibbs, so well, it is almost a given fact I could never let him die...Now off with the new chapter. Enjoy!

I

I

The roar of an engine alerted Tony that a car had just arrived, but he couldn't care less about it. It was probably David's driver or someone else connected with the Israeli and if they wanted to put a bullet in his head, well, they were welcome to do it. Tony had seen what losing Shannon and Kelly had done to Jethro and he didn't want to live through it.

He heard steps ran toward him and then someone knelt by his side as a familiar voice commanded, "Move away, Tony, I need to work on him."

Tony raised his head, barely daring to believe to his eyes.

"Bill!" he exclaimed, moving aside, as his previously desperate heart filled with hope.

"He's still alive," Bill said without looking at Tony, "but we must act quickly."

"Tell me what I must do."

"Here, keep his mouth open with your hands," Bill instructed, as he got rid of his jacked, pulled up his sleeves and bit down on both his wrists. Blood poured from his wounds and, as Tony looked on almost withholding his breath, the vampire dean made the thick red liquid drip into Gibbs' mouth. It was the same thing Gibbs had done for Tony when he had been wounded in the NCIS garage, and he could only hope it would yield the same result.

Tony watched, biting his lips, as time seemed to still, his eyes darting from Gibbs' pale face to Bill's concerned one and back to his partner's, as the vampire kept on dripping blood in the lax mouth.

After what seemed an eternity to Tony but in reality was just a few minutes, Bill put two fingers against Gibbs' neck. "The pulse is stronger, regular" he said, relief evident in his voice.

Tony swallowed hard before asking, "Is he going to be all right?"

Bill nodded with a slight smile. "Yes. He'll be fine. He just needs time to recover his strength."

Tony nodded and removed his hand, letting Gibbs' mouth close. He couldn't resist running his hand along the no longer cold cheek and he saw that wound at Gibbs neck had stopped bleeding and looked slightly smaller. The wounds on his belly had also stopped bleeding and Tony sent a brief 'thank you' to God.

"What happened here?" Bill's voice recalled Tony's attention. The vampire dean was looking around, and his eyes kept returning to Rabin's corpse.

"Gibbs told you I'd been kidnapped this morning, hadn't he?"

"Yes, Leroy called me this afternoon, telling me someone had captured you and that you were in some abandoned mine. He asked me to give him a list of possible locations in the area, and I found ten, so I decided to help him and check five of the mines as he checked the others. I had already been in two mines when Leroy called again and told me you were here. We agreed he would call me as soon as he found you. When he failed to do it and didn't answer the phone, I decided to come here and see if everything was fine."

"And I'll be always in debt to you for that, Bill," Tony murmured, looking down at Gibbs' sleeping face.

"No need, Tony. Leroy's the son I will never have. I love him as much as you do, although in a different way," Bill said with a smile. "You still have to tell me what happened here."

"Oh yes...Well, it turned out that Eli David, the unconscious guy behind us, hadn't meant to leave me here to starve to death to hurt Jethro. He used me as a bait to lure him here. He knew Gibbs was a vampire and he came here armed with his own vampire—the dead guy over there—with the intention of killing Jethro. But, as you can see things didn't go as David had planned..." Tony completed with a grin.

"No, they didn't. Well my friend, we can't stay here longer. You're going to catch something in those shorts, and Leroy too needs to be kept warm. Also we need to clean up a bit before leaving." Bill rose to his feet and brushed the dirt from his trousers.

Tony stood up too, and remembering Gibbs had said something about spare clothes, he walked to the car where, on the back seat he found a pair of sweatpants and a thick wool jacket. He donned them a grateful sigh.

He then returned near Bill and looked around the clearing. "What do you suggest we do?"

"We can hide the corpse in the mine for tonight. Tomorrow I'll come back with two other vampires and bury him in the forest or dispose of him in some other way."

"Good idea."

They moved to Rabin's body, grabbed him by the arms and legs and carried him into the mine. The guy seemed to weigh a ton, so Tony was quite relieved when he was able to drop him down.

He and Bill walked back towards Gibbs and Tony felt his fury rise when he saw Eli David was now awake and trying to stand up. He felt the almost blinding desire to hit the man again and again for what he had done to Jethro, to Ziva and to himself.

Bill put a hand on Tony's arm and squeezed. "I'll deal with him and make sure he will never cause more problems. You go to check Leroy."

There was a hint of steel in Bill's voice that signaled he wouldn't take a "no" as answer, so Tony obeyed, returning near Gibbs' side as he watched Bill grab David by the collar of his shirt and perform what Tony jokingly called the 'Jedi's mind trick'.

A few moments later he saw David walk like he was in trance toward Bill's car and sit on the passenger side. The vampire returned by Tony's side and commented, "I think in a few days Director David will realize it's time he steps down from his office and retires to private life."

"And what about Jethro and what happened here?"

"He'll have no memory of that, don't worry. I'll drive him to his hotel after I take you and Leroy home. You can drive that car?"

"No," Tony answered. "There's broken glass everywhere."

"Let's hide it then; I'll take care of it tomorrow."

"Okay."

The two men pushed the car until it was hidden behind some tall bushes, then returned to the clearing. Bill knelt near Gibbs, put his arms beneath his back and legs, balanced his weight and then, without any apparent effort, he stood up.

"Can you open the back door, Tony?"

"Sure!" he answered, and rushed to do as asked. He watched as Bill set Gibbs across the back seat, then circled the car and entered it from the other side, rising his partner's head and cradling it on his thighs, his wounded fingers carding through his lover's soft, silver hair.

Bill took his place behind the steering wheel and they were soon on their way home.

The trip was mostly a silent one, with Tony and Bill just exchanging a light banter about the vampire's job as university professor and the girls that hit on him even if knowing he was married.

When they reached Gibbs' home, Bill pulled up into the driveway. "Here we are," he murmured, as he unfastened the seatbelt.

Tony gently put down Gibbs' head on the seat and went to open the front door– for once grateful the older man seldom locked it—and moved to the side to let Bill and his precious load inside.

They went upstairs and Bill put Gibbs down on his bed. Then rapidly and efficiently he and Tony stripped the unconscious vampire of his blood-soaked clothes and boots, leaving him clad only in his boxers. That done, Bill covered Gibbs with a blanket and checked his pulse and eyes.

"How is he?" Tony asked, as he smoothed the covers over Gibbs' chest.

"He's fine. I think he'll wake up in a couple of hours. See, the wounds are completely healed and by tomorrow morning the scars will be gone too." Bill knelt and picked up the soiled clothes he had dumped on the floor and walked away.

"Are you leaving?" Tony asked.

"Yes, I need to drive Director David to his hotel before Mossad starts looking for him. I'll drop these in the laundry basket and trash bin on my way out."

"Good. Is there's anything I need to tell Gibbs when he wakes up?"

"Just that he will probably feel weak and lightheaded. Drinking would help with it, but a robust meat-based meal would be good too. And tell him I don't want to see him at the mine tomorrow. I'll take care of everything."

Tony smirked. "You know him well."

"Yeah..." Bill threw a fond look at the sleeping Gibbs and added, "Call me if he gives you hell. I'll remind him who is in charge of vampire matters around here."

"I will, but I don't think it will be necessary."

The two men exchanged a handshake, and then Bill walked out of the room.

Tony waited until Bill stepped down the stairs and closed the door. He walked to the bed and looked down at Gibbs. As usual, he looked younger when asleep and Tony didn't resist the impulse to run his hand again in his hair, ruffling it even more than it already was. Then he posed his lips over Gibbs' for a moment and murmured, "Wake up soon, Jethro. I need to look into your eyes and see them filled again with your inner fire. It was terrible to see the light fade from them..."

Shaking his head, Tony straightened, and seeing how inviting the bed was, especially after spending hours sitting on bare rock, he stripped down to his underwear and slid beneath the sheets, sitting with his back against the headboard. His empty stomach rumbled, and he grabbed a snack from his nightstand drawer. Jethro rolled his eyes every time Tony ate in bed, yet the older man always made sure the drawer was well packed with snacks and sweets.

Once he was done with his meal, Tony slid down and stretched, moaning happily now that his back could rest against something soft and warm. He scooted along the mattress and put his head on Jethro's shoulder, in his customary sleeping position.

Once there, with his partner's warmth and scent enveloping him, Tony closed his eyes and took a long, deep, happy sigh, basking in the knowledge both Gibbs and he were safe and that Eli David would never hurt them again.

I

One more chapter to go...will it be T rated or M rated...uhm... Let me know what you think ...and remember, reviews make me update faster. :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks so much for your reviews! I'm happy you liked how Bill arrived just in time to save Gibbs and to deal with Eli David. And speaking of David, I didn't kill him off because I wanted to leave the door open for his possible return, should NCIS provide with an episode I could twist and fit in this AU. As you might know, Eli is set to return in Season 8 and who knows, that might give me some ideas...:P**

**-x-**

Tony became slowly aware his pillow was moving. He raised his head and rubbed at his eyes.

He hadn't meant to fall asleep, just to relax and unwind, but he wasn't surprised it had happened. Once the adrenaline rush had ceased, the stress and the fear of the past hours had caught up with him and knocked him out.

Tony sat up and watched Gibbs' face. He saw his eyeballs move under his closed eyelids, and then his eyelashes fluttered and a glimpse of blue appeared.

Gibbs took a few moments to fully open his eyes, and when he did, he looked confused at Tony.

"What happened?" he croaked, trying to sit up, but Tony stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"You were wounded while fighting a vampire near the mine where David had taken me, remember?" Tony asked.

Gibbs nodded. "Yeah, I remember. The guy was a fucking giant. Bit me on the neck...and then David shot at you..." He turned to look at Tony, his keen eyes scanning him from head to foot.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I am, but you almost died. If it wasn't for Bill's providential arrival, you would be dead. As it was, he gave you blood and saved you." Tony swallowed hard, then looked straight at Gibbs' eyes and murmured. "Promise you won't put your life at risk like that another time."

Gibbs struggled to sit up and shook his head. "That's a promise I cannot make, Tony—and you know it."

Yeah, he knew. He knew Gibbs' still felt responsible – even if it hadn't been his fault – because he hadn't be able to protect Shannon and Kelly; and that nothing would ever stop him from doing what was necessary to protect Tony and the people he cared for. It was Tony's job to make sure Gibbs would never again risk his life in his behalf.

They looked at each other in silence for a moment, and then Gibbs' eyes dropped to Tony's hands and cringed as he took in how swollen and bloody his fingers were.

"We need to take care of those," Gibbs murmured, gently rubbing his thumb-pads on his knuckles. "You need to drink."

"Bill told me you should drink too," Tony replied. Then an idea blazed in his mind. "We could try and do it at the same time...We've never done that."

He saw Jethro's eyes darken with excitement at his proposal and his breath caught in his throat. Tony knew his vampire partner considered drinking blood a very intimate act, even more so than sex, and he couldn't even imagine what it would mean for him to both drink and give blood to his mate at the same time. He was ready to bet it was a pretty awesome idea for him...it was for Tony too.

"Come here," Gibbs said throatily, and Tony moved even before he completed the line. He straddled the older man's legs and sat on them, looking down at Jethro's bright, _alive_ blue eyes.

Without breaking their eye contact, Gibbs brought his wrist to his mouth and bit down on it, breaking the delicate skin with his sharp fangs. Then he raised his bleeding arm in front of Tony's face and asked, "Ready?"

"Yes," he answered, tilting his head on the side to give the vampire more access to his neck.

Gibbs leant forward and in the precise moment Tony felt his fangs break his skin, he lowered his head and licked at the offered wrist.

The taste of his partner's blood, no longer strange but still unusual, exploded on Tony's tongue, just as his own blood filled Jethro's mouth, the sensation of giving and taking at the same time amazing...and arousing.

Tony felt himself lengthen and harden with an almost alarming speed, his body screaming with the need to be naked, as his skin was suddenly so sensitive.

And he wasn't the only one feeling like that.

Jethro pulled his mouth away almost brutally, his pupils so dilated with need his eyes were practically black. "Clothes..." he rasped, already pulling at the waistband of his boxers.

"Yeah..." Tony echoed, moving away from Gibbs' legs and working quickly to get rid of his underwear. He had just managed to throw his briefs off the bed then Jethro was crawling over him on all four, his hard cock already leaking.

"Have no time for more..." the vampire growled, dropping down atop of Tony, his weight pinning the younger man to the mattress.

Jethro attacked Tony's shoulders, neck and chest with many light bites, careful of his fangs even now, when he had so little control over his lust and his body. His hips pushed hard, forcefully against Tony's, who answered with his own needy rocking, as their hard cocks slid side by side, trapped between their strong bellies slick with pre-come and sweat.

Tony moaned and raked his nails along Gibbs' spine, his legs wrapped around his partner's waist as their movements became more forceful and faster. It was rough, hard, with no finesse—and it was perfect.

Tony threw his head back against the pillow when he felt the tell-tale tightening in his belly and balls and cried out when his cock spurted and Jethro bit him again.

It was so intense Tony blacked out, all of his senses in overload with pleasure. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself pressed into the mattress by a boneless Gibbs, the sticky mess between their bellies already cool and getting uncomfortable.

"Boss?" he called softly, petting the shoulder he had gripped so hard only a few minutes before.

"Uhm..." was the reply mumbled against his neck.

"You gotta move before this gets ugly...You know, belly hairs getting glued together by cum...hurts like hell when you finally pull away..."

"Yeah...I know," Jethro muttered, finally using his arms to push himself up and away from Tony. He landed on his back on the mattress, seeming to have no intention of standing up and cleaning himself.

Tony had to admit that now that the risk of being stuck together had been removed, he too had no desire to leave the bed—and the man lying on it.

In fact, after the shitty day he had just had, he didn't think he wanted to leave the bed until Monday morning, trips to the bathroom and the kitchen notwithstanding. But they could wait: the blood he had sucked had taken care of his fingers, the bump on his head and the other aches caused by his sojourn in the mine, and now the only thing he wanted to do was to sleep.

Reaching down, he took hold of the blankets they had discarded as fast as their clothes and pulled them up, grinning gently when Jethro didn't move to help him. The older man was fast asleep, his slightly open mouth showing the tips of his still extended fangs.

Tony switched off the lights, rolled closer to his partner and posed his head over his shoulder. "Love you," he murmured, closing his eyes.

"Love you too," echoed the soft answer as Gibbs' arm wrapped around Tony's back, pulling him closer.

Tony sighed in contentment – this was the perfect end of a not so perfect day – and fell asleep.

THE END

OK, it's done. I hope you enjoyed the M rated finale and thank you so much for R&R. This story has a sequel, "Complex Connection(s)", which will deal with the rest of Season 7- Vampire Gibbs! style. :) Stay tuned for it!


End file.
